Producer Brenda Hutchinson's sister has been a
member of the Church Universal and Triumphant in
Corwin Springs, Montana for several years. As a
result, Brenda became interested in finding out more
about the church, and has spent time there
talking with the people and discovering how the church
involves her sister. This religious community includes families and single people from all walks of life. Sound
plays an important role in the Church from
chanting and singing to teachings and services.
The Violet Flame is a portrait of this group and an
exploration of the issue of faith.

Program Credits

The Violet Flame was produced by Brenda Hutchinson. It was originally commissioned by New American Radio and Meet the Composer, with additional help from the Laura Wallace Readers' Digest Fund. Special thanks to Lisa & William Buford, the Church Universal and Triumphant community, Harvestworks, the Center for Contemporary Music at Mills College, and Egghead Studios. Excerpts of Violet Flame decrees were used with the permission of the Church Universal and Triumphant. This program was funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Books:Church Universal and Triumphantby: James R. Lewis (editor), J. Gordon Melton (editor) 1994This book reports the results of a study conducted by a team of academic specialists to determine whether the general public perception of the new religious movement was accurate.